Grain-car



A. CAMPBELL.

GRAIN CAR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24, I9I9. I 1,342,094. Patented June 1, 1920.

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A. CAMPBELL.

GRAIN CAR. l APPLICATION FILED ocT. 24. I9I9.

I Patented June L 1920.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO `:ENTERIRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 24, 1919. Serial No. 333,043.

T0 all whom it may Concern.'

Be it known that I, ARGYLE CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of CookI and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grain-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formin a part of this specification. v

"Ibis invention relates to improvements in grain cars.

As is well known, the most common' practice in the carrying of grain in box cars is to nail heavy planks across the inner sides of the usual side door openings of the cars. Cars having this type of plank grain door are emptied of the grain by the chopping away of one of the sets of planks forming the grain door as it is necessary to relieve the pressure of the grain on the inner sides of the planks before they can be knocked out of place. This practice involves unnecessary labor in thev time requiredfor the chopping away of the planks and is unnecessarily expensive due to the destruction of the planks which must be chopped.

Attempts have been made to overcome the disadvantages of the common practice above outlined, these attempts involving the use of hoppers applied to the cars which will permit at least a part of the grain to be discharged through the hoppers and thereby relieve the pressure against the planked grain doors. The hopper type of grain box car is however objectionable on the grounds that it involves a relatively heavy initial expense of application and furthermore adds an unnecessary dead weight to the car. Also, the use of such hoppers is not economical for the reason that the box cars are not used for the carrying of grain more than asmall percentage of the time and consequently there is the economic loss resulting from the added investment in the car and the excessive dead weight which must be hauled when the car is not carrying grain.

The object of my invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and relativelyinexpensive arrangement applicable either to new box cars or to old box cars now in service vwhich will overcome the disadvantages` relatively inexpensive and light weight attachment which may be applied at small 'cost to ordinary box cars in such a manner as to readily relieve the pressure of the grain against the planked grain doors ordinarily nailed to the inner faces of the usual side doors.

t The invention furthermore consists 'in the improvements inthe parts and devices and 1n the novel combinations of the parts and devices herein shown, described and made the subject matter of the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through a portion of a box car at one side thereof showing my improvements in connection therewith. Parts of the car unnecessary for illustration of the invention are broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of a box car having my improvements em-v bodied therein, the section being taken just above the Hoor' line and adjacent the usual side door opening. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the car showing that portion thereof having my improved grain discharge attachment applied thereto. And Figs-4 and 5 are views corresponding respectively with Figs. 1 and 2 showing another embodiment of my invention.

In said drawings and referring first tothe construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

Patented .n1-ae i, 1920.

the car is shown nof the usual box type and outer Woodsheathing 12 and'inner wood lining 13 spaced from the sheathing 12 the usual distance by the posts and'braces in the Well-known manner. The car is of the usual box type having side door'openings, the same being defined by the side posts 113 and` lintel and threshold, (the latter not being shown). As customary in this type of car, a sliding outside side door 14 is provided.. In Fig. 2, I have indicated planking 15 which is most commonly used to form a grain door, the planks being nailed to the side posts 113.

In carrying out my invention, I provide means for discharging the grain at a oint closely adjacent the side doors and it will be understood lby those skilled in the art that I may provide such a discharge on only one or both sides of the car and on either one or both sides of each side door opening. The

essential object is to locate the grain discharge at a point suiiiciently close to one of ,lieve the pressure behind the planks `and permit the latter to be knocked inwardly and removed from the door posts.

As shown, the means for discharging the grain involves a relatively small opening in the car floor, the shape of this opening in the instance illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, being square. Enough of the lioor is cut away to provide this opening and a iloor door framework preferably in the form of a casting is inserted in this opening. As shown, this casting hasr a top flange indicated at 16, the same having two parallel sides 17--17 extending inwardly from the lining 13 to a longitudinally extending portion 18. The flange 16 is countersunk in the iloor so as to lie flush therewith and is held in place by screws ,19 or other suitable fastening devices. integrally formed with the ilange 16 is a depending web 2O on the three sides corresponding to the lange portions 17 and 18 and on the in terior of the depending web -20 is an inwardly extending ledge or rib 21 on three sides adapted to form a suitable sliding support for the floor door designated generally by the reference A.

The floor door A is also preferably in the form of a casting'and is of rectangular outline and, when in closed position, the outer edge thereof indicated at 22 lies approximately flush with the outer sheathing 12.-

In addition to cutting away the floor, as previously described, the sheathing 12 and lining 13 are also cut away as indicated at 23-23 to accommodate said door A. rlhe door A has side flanges of sufficient depth to 'bring the top face of the door flush with the floor of the car and the lower ledges of the side flanges in Contact with the ledge 21.

For operating the door A, a handle 24 is provided on the outer end 'thereof and to hold the door A in its closed position, any suitable means may be'employed as for instance the pin 25 which passes through a perforation in a flange 26 formed rigid with the door A and a corresponding perforation in a iianged bracket 27 secured to the side of the car. To prevent loss of the pin 25, it may be attached to the car by a chain 28 and to prevent surreptitious tampering with the door A, the lower end of the pin 25 may be perforated to accommodate the usual lead seal-2l9.

l To form a tight grain joint between the door and its surrounding frame. the flange 16 may he beveled as indicated at 30 on its inner edge and the door A correspondingly beveled as indicated at 31. To prevent the door A from being entirely removed VJfrom the car, any suitable stop may be employed,

as for instance the depending projection 32 indicated in Fig.A 1 which will engage against a fixed part of the car when the door` shown, has the outer wall SBthereof riveted' or otherwise rigidly secured to the side frame structure of the car. The chute B is curved so as to deliver the grain at an angle extending outwardly and downward-ly as clearly indicated in Fig. l. llo prevent accidental loss orl any grain that may pass into the chute B, l provide a door 34 at the discharge end of the chute B, said door being pivoted as indicated at 85. To form a gra-in seal between the door 3st and the chute casting, the upper edge of the door 34 has a curved {iange 36 which cooperates with a corresponding flange 37 on the chute. rThe remaining three edges of the door 341 are preferably beveled as indicated at 37 to coperate with correspondingly beveled faces 38 on the chute casting. To hold the door 34 in closed position duringtransit any suitable means may be provided as for instance the slidable bolt 39 mounted on the door 34, the lower end of the bolt 39 being tapered as indicated at L10 and arranged to enter an opening 11 provided on the chu tecasting.

lVith the construction above described. it is evident that a part of the grain may be readily discharged from behind the usual grain door and permit the latter to be taken oil without destruction as heretofore. lt will also be observed that the floor door A is easily operated from the side of the car at a convenient level and is located rconvenient to the usual side door of the car. rEhe weight of the door A and associated parts is comparatively small and the construction such that it may be made at comparatively small expense and applied either to new or old cars with a small amount of labor. The location of the grain discharge arrangement is such that there islno danger ot injury thereto from trucks passing in and out of the side door when the car is used for other service than the carrying of grain. A

-ln the construction illustrated in Figs. f1 and 5, the arrangement is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, except that the shape of the opening in the car door is that of a quadrant instead of being square. The floor door A is made of corresponding quadrant shape and is pivoting through the openings 123, said extension 41 having a hand grip 42 which normally extends parallel to the side wall of the car. The hand grip 42 passes within a forked bracket 43 secured to the side of the car, the forks of said bracket being perforated tol accommodate a'headed pin 44, the latter being perforated at-its lower end to accommodate a lead seal 45. Said pin 44 may be permanently attached to the car by any suitable means such as the chain 46.

The casting defining the opening in the floor has the upper flange thereof made' flush with the car floor as in the construction shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, and a grain chute B may be cast integrally therewith and secured tothe car in the same manner. To form the grain seal between the door A and the door casting-therefogthe door castingmay be formed with an arcuate groove -47 and the depending side flange of the door A with a cooperating arcuate rib 48, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The dotted lines in Fig. 5 indicate the open position of the door A', parts being broken away in order to accommodate the figure on the sheet. Further description of the construction shown in Figs. 4 and '5 is thought unnecessary since the same general principles obtain as in the other form.

I claim:

1. A grain car having the usual side door opening, said car having also a floor open! ing located adjacent the side wall thereof and at one side of and adjacent to the side door opening, a chute secured to the lcar and extending downwardly through said floor opening, the topA of saidv chute being substantially flush with .the floor of the car and having its lower end deflected, a door,

horizontally movable flush with the car floor and adapted to close the top of said chute, the side wall of the car being cut away to permit said movements of the door and operation thereof from the side of the car at a point adjacent the side door opening of the car, the location of said chute permitting discharge of grain from behind the usual grain door and at the same time being out of the usual path of trucks passing vinto and out of thel car through said side door opening.

2. A grain car having the' usual side door opening, said car having also a floor opening located adjacent thel side wall thereof and at one side of and adjacent to the side door opening; achute secured t0 the car and extending downwardly through said floor opening, the top of said chute being substantially flush with the floor of-the car and having its lower end deflected; a door, horizontally movable and having the upper surface thereof Hush with the car floor-and adapted to close the top of said chute; cooperating ,means on said door and chute arranged to form a grainseal when tl-iedoor is in closedl position; means to limit the wallv of the car being cut away to permitA said movements of the door and operation thereof from the side of the car at a point adjacent the side door opening of the car, the location of said chute permitting discharge of grain from behind the usual grain door and at the same time being out of the opening movement of the door; the side usual pathof trucks passing into and out of the car through said side door opening.

In witnessthat I claim the foregoingI have hereunto subscribed my name this 3rd day of Oct., 1919.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

Witnesses: y

WALTER GUNNIsoN, IRENE DRAKE. 

